Lightweight recreational boat

ABSTRACT

The object of invention is a light recreational boat, which can be used as a means of transportation on water for a variety of forms of recreation, in particular fishing, rowing, sailing.

BACKGROUND

There are many known types of floating vessels used for transporting people on water. They are of varied construction depending on their function and they include all kinds of boats, kayaks, pontoons, etc. A common characteristic for one group of floating vessels is the hull formed in such a way that the sides converge to form the bow, the stern and the bottom of the boat. The hulls are made of different material—predominantly wood and synthetics when it comes to recreational boats. Another group of floating vessels consists of inflatable vessels, where the hull is formed by filling a closed appropriately shaped space delimited by airtight material with air. Yet another group of floating vessels consists of a foldable or permanent frame and a water-resistant cover.

PRIOR ART

The international patent application by the number WO02/092421, discloses a boat which consists in a hull made of reinforced plastic and rubber tubes along each side to ensure floatability. The hull has grooves along the length of its sides shaped in such a way that a larger surface area of the tubing connects with the hull.

Publication WO2008/070406 teaches a boat that has a hybrid hull consisting of two curved shells, which form two keel fins allowing for the boat to stay afloat and acting as tilted hydroplanes when moving at greater speeds. Such a hull may also consist of an elongated middle shell which serves to absorb the effect of waves hitting the bottom section of the hull.

Poland patent number 174408 reveals a portable recreational boat, which consists of a water resistant fabric fastened to stiff sides to form the bottom of the boat. The boat also has a stiff two-section floor articulated along the axis of symmetry of the boat and with the lower parts of the hull.

The description of the international patent application published under number WO2011/082009 discloses a foldable boat with inflatable elements. It has a foldable hull constructed of many panels stretching from the bow to the stern of the boat. Each panel is connected to at least one other panel. The boat has one or more inflated elements which keep the boat in the unfolded state. The boat may also be equipped with an external inflatable element connected with the hull in such a way that it circles at least part of the circumference of the hull when unfolded. The boat may be equipped with seats.

Patent application number WO2012/092050 also discloses a portable foldable boat. It has a frame made of corresponding pairs of immobilizing tubular mounting elements joined by hinges. When disassembled, they are located inside the water-resistant cover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A recreational boat consisting of a floater and a frame with fixtures for additional elements according to the invention is characteristic thanks to its frame, which is constructed of permanently joined light and resilient profiles, shaped to fit the replaceable boat-shaped floater located underneath. The floater has a thick bottom and thick sides and an open stern made from a low-density material and is covered with a removable top cover and equipped with an additional element securing the frame and replaceable floater.

The replaceable floater of the boat is made of a material with a density of ≦40 kg/m3. The thickness of the sides and bottom is ≧12 cm.

The replaceable floater is a uniform element made from porous synthetic material.

The shape of the frame mirrors the outline of the floor of the replaceable floater and embraces the bottom part of the thick floor of the replaceable floater from the stern.

In one of the possible versions, there is an additional securing element in the form of a strap placed under the bottom of the replaceable floater and fastened to the frame at the bow and at the stern.

In a different version, there is an additional securing element in the form of a tube connected to the frame at the bow, traversing through the replaceable floater and fixed to the frame at the bow with a removable plate.

The frame is equipped at the front with a step for the mast in the middle with additional arms with oar handles for oars, and at the open stern, in the back of the replaceable floater, there is a transom for fixing an outboard motor.

The frame, mast step, additional arms, and transom are made from welded elements of light metals or their alloys and covered in a layer of anticorrosive protection.

The replaceable floater has two parallel grooves running along the bottom forming the keel in the middle from the bow to the stern.

The middle ridge of the bottom forming the keel of the replaceable floater found between the grooves is located below the remaining lower part of the bottom of the replaceable floater.

The cover is made of water-resistant material, it covers the bottom and the sides of the replaceable floater, and its circumference is equipped with an elastic element.

The main advantage of this recreational boat is the comfort and safety of moving around in it, as well as the fact that it is very lightweight and easy to transport to various basins. Its construction allows for a variety of uses of the boat.

An example of a boat produced according to the invention is shown in the illustrations, where

FIG. 1 represents a top plan view of the boat,

FIG. 2 represents a top plan view of the frame of the boat with additional elements, and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of one of the variants of the replaceable floater.

The recreational boat consists of a frame (1), replaceable floater (2) and the cover (3). The replaceable floater (2) is made as a one-piece element of expanded polystyrene or polypropylene foam from a pressure mold, in the shape of a boat with a thick bottom and thick sides. The sides of the floater are no less than 12 cm thick, preferably 30 cm, and they converge at the front section to form the rounded bow of the boat, while the stern is open. The bottom of the floater is preferably 25 cm thick, but no less than 12 cm thick. In one of the versions of the invention, the underwater side of the bottom of the floater (1) is shaped like an upside down letter “w”, created by two parallel lengthwise grooves (4). The middle ridge (5) forming the keel between the grooves (4) is located beneath the line of the remainder of the waterside of the floater bottom (2). The upper side of the floater as well as its sides are enclosed in a cover (3) which whose shape corresponds with that of the floater, it is made of water-resistant material and stretches past the sides to half or more of their height and is equipped with an elastic element in its circumference which secures it around the outer surface of the sides. The bottom of the cover (3) is pressed to the upper side of the floater (2), with the help of the frame (1) which, is the shape of the outline of the upper side of the bottom of the floater (2), while at the stern, it partially embraces the lower side of the floater bottom (2). The frame (1) is equipped with an additional securing element (6) which secures the floater (2) from slipping out of the frame (1). The securing element (6) may be in the form of a tube connected to the frame (1), traversing through an opening in the bow of the floater (2) and capped with a removable plate adhering to the floater on the outside of the bow, as shown in FIG. 2 In an different version, the securing element (6) may be a strap stretched along the lower side of the floater bottom(2), adhering to its middle ridge and fastened to the frame (1) at both the bow and the stern. The frame (1) may also possess additional elements allowing for the attachment of additional equipment of the boat. These are, in particular, additional arms (7) lying on top of the sides and equipped with oar handles in the middle section of the sides. In its most universal version, the frame (1) is equipped at the bow with a step (8), while in the back open stern section, the frame (1) is equipped with a transom (9) allowing for the mounting of an outboard engine. The frame (1) and its additional elements, such as the arms (7) for attaching the oars, the step (8) for mounting the mast and the transom (9) for mounting the engine are made of welded light tubing and aluminum profiles, whose surface is protected from corrosion, for example by painting them with an anticorrosive paint or covering them with any other kind of anticorrosive layer. The combination of the resilient one-piece floater (2) and the fitted frame (1) create a rigid floating construct, while the water-resistant cover (3) ensures the comfort of the boat's users and protects the floater from possible damage to the upper side of the boat. The thick sides and the bottom of the floater (2) render the boat resistant to perforation, while the open stern allows for the automatic exit of water which may enter the boat over the sides, for example in larger waves. For user comfort, the cover may be equipped with pockets, handles or straps for additional equipment. It may also include a small tent fixed at the bow, as protection from water.

The floater (2) of the boat may have a variety of shapes which function as a boat with a bottom and sides, as well as a variety of sizes and thicknesses, depending on the user's need. There are numerous methods of connecting the profiles which form the frame (1). The described example does not exhaust the possible versions of the invention. In each version, the construction and combination of three basic elements: floater (2), frame (1) and cover (3), makes the invention an exceptionally functional recreational floating vessel that ensures its users a high degree of safety and comfort while on the water and during transportation. The construction of the boat allows for the easy replacement of each of its main elements in case of damage. The materials used in its construction, in particular the porous synthetic materials and the light profiles of the frame, allow for very easy transport, for example on the roof of a car. 

1. Recreational boat with floater and frame with elements for mounting additional equipment, characterized by the frame (1) which is constructed of light resilient profiles joined permanently to each other and shaped according to the outline of the floater (2) which it is fitted on. The floater (2) is the shape of a boat with a thick bottom, thick sides and an open stern, made of a low-density material and covered from the top by a cover (3). It is also equipped with an additional securing element (6) which attaches the frame (1) to the replaceable floater (2)
 2. The boat recited in claim 1 wherein said replaceable floater (2) is made of a material with a density of ≦40 kg/m3, while the thickness of the keel and sides is ≧12 cm.
 3. The boat recited in claim 2 wherein said replaceable floater (2) is a one-piece element made of porous synthetic material.
 4. The boat recited in claims 1-3 wherein said frame (1) is shaped according to the outline of the upper side of the bottom of the replaceable floater (2) and embraces the lower side of the bottom of the replaceable floater (2) at the stern.
 5. The boat recited in claims 1-4 wherein said additional securing element (5) is in the form of a strap extended under the water side of the bottom of the replaceable floater (2) and fastened to the frame (1) at both the bow and the stern.
 6. The boat recited in claims 1-4 wherein said additional securing element (6) is a tube connected to the frame (1) at the bow, traversing through the replaceable floater (2) and capped by a removable plate.
 7. The boat recited in claims 1-6 wherein said front of the frame (1) is equipped with a step (8) for mounting the mast, the middle is equipped with additional arms (7) with oar handles, and there is a transom (9) fixed to the open stern for mounting an engine.
 8. The boat recited in claim 7 wherein said frame (1), step (7), additional arms (6) and transom (8) are made of welded elements of light metals or their alloys and coated with an anticorrosive layer.
 9. The boat recited in claims 1-8 wherein said replaceable floater (2) has two parallel grooves (4) running from the bow to the stern on the water part of the bottom of the replaceable floater.
 10. The boat recited in claim 9 wherein said middle ridge (5) of the lower side of the bottom of the replaceable floater (2) formed between the two grooves (4) is below the remainder of the water side of the bottom of the replaceable floater (2).
 11. The boat recited in claims 1-10 wherein said cover (3) is made of water-resistant material, covers the bottom and sides of the replaceable floater (2) and is equipped with an elastic element in its circumference. 